Resolving conflict in a small business

No matter where you go conflict is something that will be inevitable. You will need to deal with it often but when it is something that is constantly happening in your small business you have a real issue. People that have to work in tight quarters and often need to multi-task a lot can cross heads a lot and it can lead to a lot of conflict in the company. Since conflicts are very common in the workplace it is vital that you understand how you can resolve them quickly and to eliminate any type of hurt feelings or losing valuable employees.

Learn to Listen
As the manager you are the head of the company and what you say will ultimately go. Because of this it is vital that you learn how to listen to your employees. You need all of the information you can get to make a solid decision based upon what the employees are talking about. Call in the people that are dealing with the conflict and talk to them individually and then call them in at the same time to present the solution. In many cases you being able to listen to them and provide them with solid advice will make all the difference they need. You have to be patient and you really need to show your employees that you are listening to them by using non verbal cues.

Keep your Calm
It is your job to remain calm and to have that presence that the employees need. They don't want you to get emotional, they want you to remain calm and collected and provide them with information. If the situation is tense, take a few minutes to deep breath and to get yourself into a good zone. Having positive energy is the key to helping manage and fix conflict in the business. Remain positive even if the situation is out of control. You need to watch the employees and how they are reacting to the situation and to look for ways to lighten the mood and help them to feel better without offending them. You need to focus on how to manage the controversy and to get people to work together versus trying to become their counselor.

Present Solutions
Once you have heard the arguments on both ends and you have gathered information from other employees about the situation you will need to return to your office and start brainstorming some solutions. Here are some of the common solutions you can turn to when you are focusing on resolving conflict:
- The avoidance strategy - this is an oldie and really not great. Basically you choose to ignore the situation and the employees choose to avoid it. It doesn't solve anything and at the end of the day, it usually means the frustration of the employees will keep growing until it gets worse.
- The accommodation strategy - when you turn to this type of strategy you can do yourself a lot of damage. This is mostly due to the fact that you can easily end up losing a good employee because you aren't helping both people, only one party. Even if the other person is in the wrong, only taking one persons side can cause you to get into a worse situation.
- Compromise - this is by far the best way to go about dealing with conflict. Have both parties agree to a compromise. Now you may not know what that will be but with time you will be able to start figuring it out. Each person needs to express their feelings and start working together toward a solution to really make a difference.